If, just for once a Berkshire Council could take a bigger picture view of the post extraction world and set out a large foot print of nature conservation areas dedicated as aquatic habitats, then I might be in favour of such a plan. But what always happens is selective hearing by the councils and virtually all lakes end up in the hands of water sports bodies and greedy fishing clubs. Either that or they are devastated by clueless and abusive dog walkers. With Greenham Common covered in dog foul, awash with ignorant pet owners and mountain bikers, when are the Council going to place our wildlife high on the agenda. Oxfordshire has got it right and the birds are thriving. Here all we have is a few tiny pockets of pointless mitigation areas, which serve no purpose to the valuable species that are lost when planners and developers set out their single minded, destructive plans.

What if they were forced to put a decent road bridge over the railway & canal, perhaps just to the East of the industrial estate there, and link Crookham Hill to the A4, avoiding the level crossing? A long overdue crossing?